Review: Chinese At The Wok

By Beatrice Porbeni
17 September 2017 |
6:00 am

On a typical day in Port Harcourt, I would generally be on the hunt for a nice hot plate of bole (roasted plantain) and fish but today, I thought I’d try out something quite different. A close friend had mentioned her new obsession with a Chinese restaurant called The Wok at Visa Karena hotel, located in GRA, Elechi, Port Harcourt (PH).

The Wok

At first, I was quite hesitant because everyone from PH knows there are only a few spots for decent Asian food, which can be quite overpriced. Visa Karena offers great three options: The Bush Bar, which offers Nigerian delicacies; The Restaurant, which is basically the continent meal selection; and The Wok, for Chinese food.

I walked in the modern space, which wasn’t too full with some gentle RnB old-school love jams playing. Usually, I tend not to be too experimental when it comes to Asian food (quite boring I know). Essentially if I cannot pronounce it or imagine the taste then I probably won’t order it.

Butterfly Prawns

I’m not exaggerating when I say this starter was perfect in every way. The Prawns were quite large, I was satisfied sharing with my friend but if you’re big eater then one portion will do just fine. The meal was crispy, accompanied by a pepper paste and soy sauce, which definitely added a spicy twist to it.

Special fried rice with sweet and sour beef

They served a really generous portion, definitely suited for two. I absolutely loved the rice as it was packed with a lot of goodies including eggs, mixed veggies, shrimp and pieces of beef. The sauce was very tasty and also packed with a lot of veggies and a few chunks of pineapple! I found the combo extremely satisfying and had some left over, which I gladly took home.

Verdict

The best part about the restaurant for me was the combination of the cheap prices, large portions and great food! It really doesn’t get better than that. The prices of the appetisers range from N900 to N3000, while the main meal are between N1000 and N5000 except for the specialties (lobster), which is between N10,000 to 20,000. I found the customer service good, but it could always be better as sometimes the staff tend to wonder off.

I plan on going back there for sure, as The Wok is my new Chinese spot. But next time, perhaps I’ll try out their Bush Bar. Word on the street is that their grilled fish is something to write home about!